Chapter 131: Something to Prove.
(TL/n: I've edited the last chapter to remove some unnecessary parts.)
Marc Gasol's pick-and-roll was solid, and as LeBron James tried to slip past, he couldn't quite make it.
By the time he fought his way through, Han Sen had already released a mid-range shot right in front of him.
Swish!
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
After reaching the peak of his [Classical Master] talent, shots like these felt effortless to Han Sen. He knew it was going in the moment it left his hands.
"Got that?" Han Sen turned to James after landing.
He was genuinely teaching LeBron, because for a pick-and-roll to be effective, the ball handler must have a strong ability to finish the play.
Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade were great at floaters, using the pick-and-roll to drive and finish; Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant had excellent jump shots, capitalizing on the space created by the pick.
Even Parker, Wade, and classic pick-and-roll duos like John Stockton and Deron Williams had solid mid-range jumpers.
In fact, you could argue that mastering the mid-range is the key to unlocking the full potential of the pick-and-roll.
When the game gets intense, lanes for drives and passes are often blocked. But after the screen, there's almost always a brief opportunity for a mid-range shot.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot—you haven't developed your shot in seven years."
It wasn't just about the three-pointer; LeBron's mid-range shooting percentage wasn't great either.
Han Sen left LeBron fuming as he walked back to the half-court.
You'd think someone with a mouth would know how to talk trash, but apparently not everyone can. The so-called 'Chosen One' was really chained down by that title.
But just then, Han Sen remembered something important: LeBron might not be great at trash talk, but he was good at hurting people.
Why the 'Chosen One' didn't trash talk but could still hurt people? Han Sen didn't know.
He did have Popovich to thank, though, for giving him a heads-up about this kind of thing.
LeBron stopped handling the ball after that.
Wade cut without the ball, received a pass from Bibby, and made a difficult hanging layup over Marc Gasol.
The Heat's Big Three hadn't fully clicked yet, but Wade's knee-burning efforts this season had significantly improved his ability to make clutch shots.
Zach Randolph missed a hook shot on a low-post move toward the free-throw line, but Ilgauskas, despite being weaker physically, was tall enough to disrupt Randolph.
However, Randolph was quick to grab the offensive rebound with his long arms and, while re-positioning against Ilgauskas, spotted Han Sen cutting in from the three-point line. He threw the ball to him.
Han Sen caught it just as Wade flew over to help and tried to block the shot.
Han Sen, facing Wade, stopped abruptly and released a floater over Wade's outstretched fingers, and the ball dropped cleanly into the hoop.
Just as he had predicted earlier, his floater ability had improved significantly after reaching the peak of [Classical Master].
Wade, having failed to stop him, looked at Han Sen with a strange expression.
He remembered when Han Sen first entered the league and trained with him in Miami.
'Aren't you afraid I'll surpass you if I learn from you?'
Though Han Sen still wasn't quite on Wade's level yet, his scoring ability had improved dramatically since then.
Randolph, adjusting his headband as he ran back on defense, excitedly high-fived Han Sen.
He hadn't scored yet tonight, but he already had three assists, two of which were to Han.
Randolph had hit double figures in points and rebounds before, even managing a 20-point, 20-rebound game. But he had never reached double figures in assists—maybe tonight he could experience that.
The Heat's offense saw Bosh nail a 16-foot jumper after receiving a pass from Wade.
It was clear that both Wade and Bosh had adjusted well to the new roles assigned to them by Spoelstra.
With the score at 11-10, the game was tight.
Randolph didn't return to the low post to call for the ball. Instead, he signaled Conley to give the ball to Han Sen and then moved over for the pick-and-roll.
Han Sen was hot tonight, and Randolph wanted to show his teammate some love.
Randolph's wide frame was even more solid than Gasol's, and Wade was completely blocked.
Randolph could also hit mid-range shots consistently, so Wade didn't dare leave him to double Han Sen.
With that small gap from the pick-and-roll, Han Sen took another mid-range shot.
Bosh charged over quickly to contest it, using his long arms and speed.
But Han adjusted his release angle mid-air, avoiding Bosh's block, and made the shot.
This one was noticeably harder than the last, but the ball arced high and dropped through the net once again!
Aside from his hot shooting tonight, Han Sen's mid-range softness had significantly improved after maxing out [Classical Master].
It was as smooth as a shampoo commercial—soft and silky.
The shot sent the crowd into cheers.
It's important to note that a city's population and its basketball market aren't the same thing.
Memphis has more people than Cleveland, meaning its basketball market potential is larger.
Previously, the small market was due to the team's poor performance and unexciting style of play, similar to the Spurs.
But Han Sen was different. Just his beautiful mid-range shots were worth the price of admission for the fans.
Jordan and Kobe were beloved by so many fans not just because they played well, but because they played beautifully.
When the Heat's offense failed on the next possession, the crowd erupted in chants from the Memphis fans.
Most teams' fans would chant something like "Go, Team!" but in Memphis, they had a unique chant:
"Whoop that trick!"
The Memphis spirit was real, and it fit the situation perfectly.
You're the Big Three at your peak? Well, we're going to whoop the Big Three at their peak!
Han Sen continued running pick-and-rolls with Randolph, but this time, Bosh was even more decisive in his defense.
Han Sen switched gears, speeding past Bosh toward the basket.
The combination of drive and shot was the true weapon of a scorer.
As Han Sen blew past Bosh and charged into the paint, LeBron came over to help, charging in like a freight train.
Han Sen knew LeBron's blocking ability, so he didn't continue his drive. Instead, he stopped abruptly for another floater.
But just then, Han Sen noticed that LeBron wasn't stopping either—he was still flying forward, seemingly out of control.
LeBron had a reputation for executing perfect timing. He wouldn't strike immediately after contact, but would wait, giving the impression that the situation had passed before hitting you out of nowhere.
Han Sen could make the shot on his own, but if he did, he would likely get 'accidentally' knocked to the floor by LeBron.
LeBron's frame was massive, and even though Han Sen had enhanced his own physique, there was still a good chance he could get injured.
Seeing this, Han Sen still went ahead with the shot, but at the same time, he braced himself, pulling back his body and raising his golden right foot.
LeBron saw this and looked terrified, because the angle of Han Sen's foot was aimed right at his groin.
He wanted to pull back, but at that point, it was too late to stop his momentum.
Bang!
To the fans' surprise, LeBron and Han Sen collided, and both fell hard to the floor.
Han Sen, having braced for impact, rolled backward several steps after hitting the ground and ended up tumbling into the front-row seats.
A quick-thinking fan reached out and caught him.
LeBron's impact had been strong, but when the camera panned over to him, everyone saw LeBron curled up on the ground, clearly in pain.
The fans were confused. How was Han Sen, the one who got hit, seemingly fine, while LeBron, the one who made the hit, looked like he was the one in trouble?
Was he faking it to get the ref's sympathy?
The game paused for an injury timeout as the Heat's medical staff checked on LeBron, while Han Sen got up with the help of the fans, walking back to the bench as if nothing had happened.
"Focus on the game, don't get into too much conflict with LeBron," Coach Hollins came over to remind him.
Han Sen gave Hollins a look that said, Are you serious? If he didn't provoke LeBron, was he supposed to just let Wade bully Allen in the post?
"Lionel is just worried about you getting hurt," Coach Joerger chimed in.
"Got it," Han Sen responded, leaving Hollins to exchange frowning glances with Joerger as he sat down on the bench.
Sometimes, Han Sen really couldn't understand what Hollins was so scared of.
Kobe blowing out the Grizzlies was one thing; was he really worried that LeBron would mess with the Grizzlies' management?
The arena's LED screen began to replay the incident from the last play.
It turns out that Han Sen, while trying to avoid a collision with LeBron, lost his balance and accidentally kicked the latter in the groin.
The replay showed that LeBron tried to dodge, but it was too late in the heat of the moment.
It definitely looked painful.
LeBron stayed down for a few minutes before finally getting up, and was substituted out by Coach Spoelstra to rest.
The referees determined that Han Sen's action was unintentional, so there was no technical foul or even an offensive foul called. It was quite a dramatic result.
At the 9-minute mark in the first quarter, the score was 22-20, with the Grizzlies holding a narrow lead.
It was clear that the Heat had improved significantly compared to their season opener.
Both teams began rotating players, with Han Sen heading to the bench to rest.
LeBron also returned to the game after his brief rest.
At this point, the lineups were:
Grizzlies: Jordan Crawford, Sam Young, Shane Battier, James Johnson, Marc Gasol
Heat: Mario Chalmers, Mike Miller, LeBron James, James Jones, Udonis Haslem
The Heat's next possession saw Jones receiving a drive-and-kick pass from LeBron, sinking a three-pointer to give the Heat the lead.
Although the Heat's lineup was relatively "small," the spacing was excellent, a perfect setup Spoelstra designed to optimize LeBron's game.
However, small lineups come with drawbacks, as Crawford took a pass from Gasol and immediately attacked the paint, finishing with a layup.
The Heat, limited by the salaries of their Big Three, had role players who were on lower contracts and couldn't convert opportunities as consistently as players like Curry or Thompson.
On the next possession, Miller missed an open three.
Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Grizzlies executed a fast break.
Crawford took the ball coast to coast, finishing with a two-handed dunk!
The FedEx Forum exploded with excitement.
The Grizzlies' bench was ecstatic, with Han Sen standing up to applaud Crawford.
Now, Han Sen better understood what Battier had meant before.
Some players chase near or even triple-double averages to prove they're team players, but that requires dominating the ball and, in a way, draining the energy of their teammates.
True team players, like Battier, focus on elevating everyone around them.
At the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies led 26-23.
As the second quarter began, the Heat kept their lineup intact while the Grizzlies continued rotating, with Jason Williams subbing in for Marc Gasol.
Neither team had a true center on the court now.
This gave LeBron an opening, as he drove past Young, attacked the paint, and threw down a signature tomahawk dunk over Johnson.
After the dunk, LeBron faced the camera and struck his signature bicep flex celebration.
You had to admit, his athleticism was out of this world. Despite what happened earlier, it seemed the groin kick wasn't affecting him at all.
On the Grizzlies' side, the offense still ran through Crawford.
Using a Battier screen, Crawford found himself mismatched against Jones and blew past him with one quick step.
Though his ball-handling wasn't elite, his athleticism and first-step quickness were exceptional.
Once he beat Jones, Johnson boxed out Haslem, leaving Crawford a clear path to the basket.
Crawford took off, soaring for a one-handed slam.
But just then, a figure came flying in from the side.
LeBron!
Time may heal all wounds, and LeBron's earlier incident with Han Sen had faded from public discussion, but LeBron hadn't forgotten the young Crawford who had dunked on him years ago.
Sure, that wasn't a proper dunk; Crawford had caught him off guard.
He couldn't get back at Han Sen, but he sure wasn't about to let this little role player get away with it again.
But he had underestimated Crawford.
While Crawford's earlier dunk may have been unexpected, it wasn't his ceiling. Two years had passed, and Crawford had been training in the NBA, unlocking more of his athletic potential.
Seeing LeBron flying in for the block, Crawford didn't flinch. He sped up his movements in mid-air, turning his body slightly.
Boom!
He hammered the ball into the rim with one hand, angled to avoid LeBron.
LeBron flew past him, reduced to nothing more than a perfect backdrop.
The arena fell silent for a moment—most fans didn't even process what had happened.
But the next second, the FedEx Forum erupted in cheers.
Crawford had dunked on LeBron!
Again!
And this time, it wasn't in practice—it was on the court!
Crawford, face flushed, landed and pounded his chest in excitement.
The infamous 'Dunkgate' had brought him harsh criticism from the outside world, and the recent resurfacing of the incident had made things even worse for him.
That was why he had come to the Grizzlies with something to prove, why he'd been acting out.
Nothing could top what had just happened in this moment!
Han Sen also leapt to his feet, waving a towel for Crawford.
When he saw LeBron closing in for the block, he thought Crawford was about to get stuffed—LeBron's chase-down blocks were legendary.
But clearly, they had underestimated Crawford, or more accurately, his sheer competitive drive.
Every NBA player sees himself as the Jordan of his own story.
And Crawford's dunk would no doubt be trending again soon.
Weekly Power Status
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